Their biggest “hit” is called Chopped in Half and they have spent more than 30 years exploring the depths of sonic depravity: Obituary are simply the living embodiment of death metal’s gruesome spirit. Plainly intended to be definitive, their 10th album stays true to the scything, mid-paced attack that had such an impact on fledgling extreme metal in the late 80s, but in contrast to 2014’s Inked in Blood, this is no perfunctory delivering of familiar goods. Latest recruits Kenny Andrews (lead guitar) and Terry Butler (bass) have brought renewed focus to both songwriting and sound: the former’s blistering, old-school solos are uniformly stunning and Butler’s chemistry with drummer Donald Tardy lifts the likes of breakneck opener Brave to levels of intensity that Obituary haven’t reached for years. Meanwhile, slower fare such as End It Now and It Lives bring guitarist Trevor Peres’ unerring grasp of groove and dissonance together with some of the sharpest and most insidious hooks these legends have ever brandished.
